Oscar De La Hoya is targeting a major fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia.
Canelo is currently coming off a win over Jermell Charlo after the latter moved up two weight classes from 154 pounds to fight for the undisputed title. It was a one-sided fight as the weight took its toll, leaving Charlo’s punches largely ineffective. This failed to show Canelo’s true standing, given that he was not fighting a fully-fledged 168-pounder.
Since then, David Benavidez has been knocking on the door for a shot at the undisputed title. The Mexican Monster beat Demetrius Andrade to retain his position as the WBC interim champion at 168 pounds. The mandatory has not been called, but it is expected to happen at some point.
Dates for Cinco De Mayo and Mexican Independence Day have been mentioned. So far, nothing has materialized in that regard. This has created the narrative that Alvarez is trying his best to avoid facing Benavidez, as other opponents were mentioned.
Jermall Charlo and Munguia have been suggested as opponents. A fight with Charlo makes little sense, given the ease with which Canelo beat Jermell. In addition, Jermall is not a 168-pounder, as he fights at 160 pounds. Mungia is now considered the other possibility, as De La Hoya backed the fight.
De La Hoya Reacts
“Look, I think it’ll [Canelo vs. Munguia] will be a huge mega-fight, I really do. I think Canelo-Munguia will be huge, but first thing is first. First, Ryder and then Canelo have to decide, and he holds all the cards, and we respect that.
“One thing about Canelo is history shows, he’s fighting top guys, taking all the challenges. I might have criticized him a bit because I had a thorn in my side because he decided to work with another promoter. So, if he picks Benavidez or Munguia, which I would advocate towards because we haven’t seen a Mexican-Mexican fight championship at the elite level [in ages],” De La Hoya said
Munguia’s Aims
Munguia is a fellow Mexican with an unbeaten record, showing that he is at an elite level. He takes on John Ryder on January 27, 2024, putting his 42-0 record on the line. He has secured 33 knockouts, showing he is a destructive puncher.
This is his third fight at 168 pounds, following his wins over Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Gonzalo Gaston Coria. As such, Mungia is settled well into the weight class, showing that a Canelo fight could be competitive. But before that can happen, Munguia must get past Ryder. By the looks of it, he is well prepared for that.
“This has been one of the best training camps I have had. I honestly feel like I can knock John Ryder out. I want to go in there and make a statement. I’m a different fighter now from when I fought Canelo. I believe I learned a lot about myself. I wish I could have had that type of fight 10-years ago,” Munguia stated
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